Future
by yulebrinner25
Summary: Continuation of episode 5x11. Paily one-shot.


**A/N: Hey, all! So, as usual, I was disappointed with last week's episode, in terms of Paily. I got all excited because I knew Paige would be back and there were all those pictures of them in the Brew with Paige in that dress and the sneak peek of them agreeing to talk about their relationship. I got my hopes up and thought, for sure, they were going to get back together. But, of course, I was let down once again. It turned out to be two minutes of nothing, ending in Paige going on a date. :(**

**This anger/frustration motivated me to write my own conclusion of how I wanted that episode to end. Based on the pictures of tonight's episode, I feel hopeful that it will be a good one for them but, as I've learned so many times, pictures can be misleading. So, I am going to keep my hopes and expectations very low so I won't be disappointed again.**

**Don't worry, I haven't given up on **_**In A World Like This **_**(nor will I ever give up on it), I just needed to get this out before I could focus on anything else.**

**I wrote this one-shot for me, just so I could have the ending the way I want it. But, I hope you guys like it as well.**

**I hope you all have a wonderful PLL day. Put out those happy Paily vibes and cross your fingers that our girls will FINALLY be reunited. :)**

* * *

After our talk at school today, I left feeling disappointed that I'd have to wait another day to have that talk with Paige, due to her prior commitment. I decided to see if I could pick up a shift at the Brew to keep my mind occupied. Of course, it didn't work. Having worked there for so long now, my job requires very little thought on my part. It's like when I'm driving. Suddenly, I'm at home and I don't even know how I got there. I went through the motions at work, but my mind was on the girl with the big brown eyes. I kept going over and over in my head what I could say to Paige to get her to take me back. I had it all planned out until I heard her voice. There she was not two feet away. Wearing that _dress_. Showing those _legs_. My God, she looked stunning. Then again, she always does. I wanted to tell her as much but seeing her there in front of me wiped every coherent thought from my head.

Never before had I realized just how much I missed her until I watched her walk out the door. Holding _two_ coffee cups. _I'm too late. She's moved on._

* * *

I turned off the lights, flipped the sign to "Closed", set the alarm, and locked the deadbolt.

The clock on the dashboard of my car read 11:07 PM and yet I wasn't ready to go home. I felt numb. _I've lost her. For good this time._ The pain of that thought not fully hitting me yet. I just sat there in my car, staring into space, trying to contemplate how I'm supposed to move on from this. How I'm supposed to get over the person I care most about in this whole God forsaken world. I tried to picture a life without Paige and all I saw of my future was a world void of color and hope. And there was my answer. The truth. There _was_ no future without Paige. And suddenly I was there, parked in front of the big white house where my future lived. I had no plan. I just knew I couldn't wait another minute to see her again.

Her bedroom light was off. _What if she's still out with the other coffee cup?_ My stomach twisted at that thought. My hand shook as I raised my fist to knock on the door. My heart pounding in my chest, my pulse thrumming loudly in my ears, making it difficult to listen for movement inside the house. Almost a full minute passed. I sighed loudly and turned to walk back to my car.

"Em?"

I froze when I heard that angelic voice. I turned to see her dressed for bed, her hair still damp from her shower. She was so beautiful that I lost all ability to speak.

"What are you doing here? Is everything okay?"

_Nothing is okay. But I'm hoping I can fix that._ "I-I'm sorry I didn't call. I know it's late, but I needed to see you. Can we talk?"

At my words, an expression crossed Paige's face that I couldn't place. She looked uncomfortable. But her eyes, her most expressive feature, reflected something that looked like...fear? "Um...yeah...okay." Paige slowly backed away, opening the door wider for me to enter. We stood there awkwardly in the dark corridor. "Um...we can talk in my room."

_Paige's room._ I loved this room. So many beautiful memories are attached to these four walls. It was a place I always felt safe and loved and happy. I miss that feeling. I want it back.

She closed the door behind me, and then moved to sit on her bed. She looked up at me expectantly, waiting for me to start.

I was suddenly overcome with fear. No idea of what to say. _What if she doesn't take me back? What if she's moved on? Or worse, what if I've broken her so much that she wants nothing to do with me?_

I suddenly felt the urge to run. To make up an excuse and put this off for another day until I had a better plan. The perfect speech prepared, as if the right words said in a certain order could guarantee she'd be mine again.

"Are-Are your parents home?" I asked, just for something to fill the awkward silence.

"No, they're away for the weekend."

I nodded, leaning against her desk, avoiding eye contact.

"So...you wanted to talk?" Paige asked, sounding nervous. I wish I could read her mind right now. It would make this so much easier.

"Um...yeah. How was your night?"

"It was fine."

_Fine? What did that mean?_

"Em, just say it." Paige breathed out, looking defeated. Her hands tightened in her bed spread as if bracing for a blow. _Did she think I was going to get mad at her for going on a date?_

I took a deep breath and exhaled. "Paige, I need to apologize to you."

Paige's brow wrinkled in confusion.

"You were right about Ali. She's been playing us this whole time. We were nothing but pawns in her game. She never cared about us. She just needed us. Used us to get what she wanted. You tried to warn me but I didn't listen. You were the one person who has always had my best interest at heart and I turned my back on you. I'm so sorry, Paige."

Tears were free flowing down my cheeks as the realization of the full extent of what I've done to Paige finally hit me.

"Emily." Paige whispered. She stood up and pulled me into her arms, rubbing my back to soothe my sobs. With my face in the crook of her neck, I could smell her delicious scent of warm honey and spice. This intoxicating aroma, that had always filled me with equal measures of tranquility and desire, permeated my nostrils, causing me to cry even harder. "Shhh, it's okay." She moved us backwards so we were both sitting on the bed.

"Emily, did she hurt you?" Paige asked after my breathing returned to normal. She placed her hands on my shoulders, pushing me back so she could see my whole face. "Cause if she hurt you, I swear to God, I'll-"

"No. It wasn't like that. She just...showed her true colors. Well, I guess they were never hidden. I think I knew deep down who she really was but I had this idea in my head of who I thought she was and I refused to believe anything else. She knew exactly what to say to keep me on her hook and I fell for it every time."

"I'm sorry, Em. I know how much you love her." Paige stared down at the hand she had placed on my knee, rubbing it sympathetically.

"No, Paige. I thought I did but it wasn't real. The Ali I thought I loved never existed. I realized that the only person I've ever truly loved, with my whole heart, was right in front of my eyes. _I_ had the best of everything and I threw it away for a lie."

I looked into Paige's eyes and I could see the stunned look on her face.

_Do it, Emily. Fight for your girl._

"Paige, I'm so sorry for hurting you. I'm so sorry for taking you for granted. For not seeing what I had and realizing how unbelievably lucky I was to have you. I never deserved you, Paige. Truthfully, no one does. You are the best person I've ever known. I know I have no right to ask you this. I know you've probably already moved on and are happy with the other coffee cup but is there any possibility that you would-"

I was willing to get down on my knees and beg her to take me back. Tell her I would fight for her. Spend the rest of my life proving my love for her. But Paige never gave me the chance as she crushed her lips to mine. I gripped the back of her neck and held on as if my life depended on it. Because it did. She gripped my waist and pulled me closer. Pure ecstasy flooded my veins as our tongues moved together. The overwhelming love I felt for this girl spilled over, flowing steadily down my cheeks. My tears mixed with Paige's own as we held each other impossibly close and yet not close enough.

Our foreheads rested together as we paused to catch our breath. Our hearts hammering wildly.

"God, Paige, I love you so much. It's always been you. I will never forgive myself for not seeing that sooner. Please, can you give me another chance, Paige? I promise you I won't waste it this time."

Paige gazed at me with such love and amazement, causing a warmth to spread throughout my whole body.

She wiped the tears from my cheeks with her thumbs and leaned in, giving me the gentlest kiss.

"Em, you never had to ask. I love you so much. You're the only one that I want."

Just as Paige had wiped the last of my tears away, my eyes began to fill again. _She still wants me. She still loves me._ I pulled her in for a lingering kiss, only to pull away as a question entered my mind.

"But wait, what about your...date?"

"Yeah, that was a mistake." Paige sighed, regretfully. "I met her at one of my mom's work parties. She's the daughter of one of her co-workers. She asked her mom to get my number from my mom and she called to invite me to this old Hollywood movie night thing. I said no at first because I wasn't interested in her like that and because I couldn't even think about dating someone new right now."

"But, I eventually decided to give her a try so I called her back to see if the offer was still good. I thought it might take my mind off how much I missed you, even if it was just for a few hours. But, of course, it didn't work. If anything, it just made me miss you more. I drove her home and told her it wasn't going to work out. I felt bad for using her because I _knew _I'd never be able to love anyone the way I love you. From the first moment I laid eyes on you, I knew, deep down, that you were my soul mate. But when Kate asked me out, that was the first moment I considered that, maybe, I wasn't yours. So I said yes."

"I'm so sorry, Paige. This is all my fault. I hate myself for causing you so much pain. For making you think that I don't feel the same about you because I do, Paige. I love you more than you will ever know."

"Hey," Paige said, wiping my new tears away again. "Em, I never blamed you for what happened between us. I betrayed your trust when I broke my promise to you. If anything, this was my fault, not yours."

"But, I should have believed you about Ali. I shouldn't have blamed you when all you were trying to do was protect me. That's all you've ever done, Paige. Protect me. You have always put me first and I never did the same to you. I will never understand how you could ever love someone as selfish as me. I'm just as bad as Ali."

"Emily, don't you ever say that. You are the most wonderful, beautiful, kind-hearted, amazing person I've ever known. How could I not love you? Em, as much as I tried to deny it, I knew you never got over Ali, even before we knew she was alive. You never got that closure and it always left you wondering what could have been. I'm so sorry she hurt you by not living up to the person you thought she was. Even though I knew what she was capable of, you knew a side to her that I didn't. You saw the good in her and you held on to that. That's not delusional, Em, that's a gift. A beautiful gift. You see the good in everyone and that is one of the things I love most about you. You make people want to be the best version of themselves. It's not your fault that Alison chose to squander that chance. You are nothing like Ali because, while you see potential in others for them to be better, Alison sees opportunity for personal gain. You are the sun, Emily. You radiate light and bring happiness and warmth to everyone around you. But Alison chooses to pull people down into the darkness with her to make herself feel powerful. So, don't you dare compare yourself to Alison, because you are _nothing_ like her. For you to believe otherwise would be nothing short of a tragedy."

I didn't think it was possible to love this girl more than I already did but hearing her beautiful words made my love for her triple in size. I wanted her to know that. _Needed_ her to know how desperately in love with her I am. But words are not enough. These words don't exist. Only actions can prove to her how much she means to me.

I crushed my mouth against her deliciously soft lips. _I love you._ I deepened the kiss as I thrust my tongue into her hot mouth, joining it with hers as their familiar dance began. _I love you._ This wasn't enough. I needed her to know, without a shadow of a doubt, that she is the one I've always been dreaming of. _My destiny. My fate. My soul mate. My love._ I gripped the hem of her shirt, raising it slowly. I pulled away from the kiss, gazing into her eyes, looking for any sign that she wanted me to stop, but all I saw was overwhelming love and the unmistakable glint of desire. Chests heaving, I continued to divest Paige of her clothing while she simultaneously did away with mine. _I love you._ Our bodies slid together in perfect harmony as we explored every inch of skin we could find. _I love you._ Our exploration continued, scored by cries of pleasure, moans of desperation, and declarations of love, long into the night.

_I love you._

* * *

"I've never felt so safe and so happy, in my entire life, as I do right now." It was just after 3:30 AM. My head was resting on Paige's chest; our naked bodies entwined beneath a thin white sheet of Paige's bed.

"Hmmm." Paige hummed, drawing patterns with her fingertips along the skin of my shoulder and arm. "I know exactly what you mean." She pulled my chin towards her, capturing my lips in a lingering kiss.

"Wait!" Paige said, abruptly after a moment of contented silence. "Em, your mom! You forgot to tell her where you were! She could be-"

I cut Paige's adorable rambling off with a kiss.

"Relax, Paige. I texted her before I came over and told her I was spending the night at Hanna's. She knows not to expect me home. It's fine."

Paige breathed a sigh of relief, before breaking into a sexy smirk. "So, this was your plan all along, huh? Seduce me into bed so you could have your way with me? Pretty sneaky, Fields."

I slapped her, playfully on the arm at her assumption. "Paige!" She grinned. "No, that wasn't my plan." I explained, even though she didn't need one. My face became serious as I continued. "I didn't have a plan. I just knew that I wasn't going to leave until I convinced you to take me back." To my surprised, Paige laughed. I looked up at her in confusion.

"You thought it would take all night?" She laughed again.

"After how badly I hurt you, yeah, I did. Plus, I thought you had moved on with someone else. At school, when I asked if we could talk, you agreed but you seemed like that was the last thing you wanted to do. I assumed it was because you would have to tell me about Kate and you thought it would be awkward."

"Oh, Em, no." She gave an unamused chuckle. "When you said you wanted to talk, I thought you were going to tell me you and Ali were officially together. I knew it was coming but I was nowhere near ready to hear that. When I told you I had plans tonight, at the time, it was a lie. As soon as you left, that's when I called Kate to reconsider. You thought _you_ were selfish - _I'm_ the one who used an innocent girl to escape my problems. I knew it was wrong but I just couldn't deal with hearing those words from you so soon. I really did try to enjoy myself with her. She was very nice, but she wasn't you."

I could feel my eyes beginning to fill with tears again. "Paige, I'm so sor-" This time, Paige cut me off with a kiss.

"Please don't say you're sorry. How about we agree to stop dwelling on our past mistakes and start focusing on the future."

"The future." I repeated.

"Our future." Paige pulled me closer as she spoke.

_Our future._ "I like the sound of that." I sighed, contented.

"Me, too." Paige smiled, kissing my forehead. "But for right now, I just want to enjoy this moment. The fact that I was lucky enough to get you back when I never thought it would happen."

"I'm the lucky one, Paige." I assured her. "Now that I have you back, I'm _never_ letting you go again."

"I love you so much." She whispered.

"I love you, too." Our lips met in a long languid kiss, before I laid my head back down against her chest.

I drew my fingertips along the taut skin of Paige's chiseled abdomen, feeling the familiar stirrings of desire purring deep within my own.

"Paige?" I asked, innocently, fighting to hold back my grin.

"Yes, my love?" She asked, peacefully, her eyes closed.

"When you said, 'enjoy this moment' did you have anything specific in mind?" I asked, continuing my ministrations across her abs.

"Hmmm." She replied, thoughtfully. Unexpectedly, she flipped us over so she was now on top of me, straddling my waist. "I might have a few ideas." She grinned, her pupils turning black with desire.

I gazed up at the naked beauty above me, getting lost in those beautiful brown eyes that have never failed to take my breath away. And in that instant, I saw my entire future. _Our future._ And it brought tears to my eyes.

I loved this girl beyond all reason. It was always Paige. It would always _be_ Paige. We were inevitable. Meant to be. I knew that, beyond a shadow of a doubt.

Unable to resist any longer, I pulled her down and pressed my lips hungrily to hers, putting every emotion I had into this kiss.

We continued our exploration of each other's bodies, memorizing, tasting, discovering, until exhaustion took over.

Our lips met for one final kiss before I laid my head against Paige's chest again and fell asleep in the comforting arms of my dream girl. _My destiny. My fate. My soul mate. My love._

_My future._


End file.
